School Struggles
by ILoveMyChickens
Summary: Jasper is a poor boy from the slums of Houston. When he suddenly gets invited to the prestigious Fork's Academy, everything he ever thought about wealth comes under fire. And it doesn't help that he may or may not have the a crush on the headmaster's son, Edward. Will Jasper be able to overcome his prejudice? Or will he be forever stuck in hatred?
1. Chapter 1

**Jasper POV**

Jasper Whitlock had grown up with virtually nothing. His dad had died in the army when he was six, and his widowed mother worked four part-time jobs just to keep him and his sister Rosalie alive. The house they lived in in Houston, Texas was a sorry structure, just held apart at the seams so that the termites living in their basement didn't quite make it collapse (yet). His clothing either came from Wal-Mart (when they were lucky) or from some Nuns down at an abbey that had decided to 'adopt' their family. The clothes the Nuns gave him were always a bit too big, but that was the least of his complaints. The Nuns got their clothing from donations, and the only people in Houston fortunate enough to give away clothing were the snobby rich ones that lived on the other side of town. Jasper would see them sometimes, driving their BMW's down his shoddy street, not giving a damn about the people that lived there, only wanting to get in some 'community service.' They would always quickly run up to the Abbey in their Michael Kors and Armani suits, toting bags full of last year's trends in their hands. And then just as quickly as they ran in, they were back out onto the street, looking this way and that as if they expected a robber or murderer to come popping out at them. Like Jasper would want any of _their _designer wallets or golden watches. No, in Jasper's neighborhood, there was a mutual feeling of hatred towards the more affluent citizens in Houston.

So when Jasper got offered a scholarship to go to a private boarding school, his immediate thought was _fuck no_, and that was that.

"Jasper Hale Whitlock!" His mother, Maria, shouted from across the dining table, his letter of acceptance in her trembling hand. "Do you think money grows on trees? Think child! I love you more than anything, and love means wanting someone to become their absolute best. Do you _think _you can reach your greatest potential by declining a letter to Fork's Academy? You _know _we can't afford to go there. And what's even better, it's an all boys private school. Which means no more fucking around with all those whores you've been bringing home recently. Think, Sugar! Think of the possibilities!" As soon as she finished her speech, Maria collapsed against the table, all her energy having drained out with her words.

Jasper stood silently across from her, a neutral expression on his face. He knew his mom wanted what was best for him, but _this_? How could some rich-kid private school be any beneficial to him? He was already working down at the Burger King every day to help his mom pay for the rent. In his life, he knew he wanted to be more than a burger flipper, but hey, you've got to start from somewhere!

Not for the first time, Jasper wished he had someone to consult, someone he could talk to about these things. Like a dad. But as usual, he was alone.

He glanced over at his worn-out mother, her graying black hair sticking to her sweating body (their AC was out and it got _hot _in Houston), and he felt bad. He didn't like being difficult on purpose. He loved his mother, and he knew she tried her hardest to provide for him and Rose. But this was something he _wouldn't _be budging on, no matter how hard Maria pleaded.

"I'm sorry mom." He said. "But there is no way I'm going to some fucking snob school just so people can fuck around with me. I know you're trying, but I think I'd be of more help here than there." With these words, Jasper left the kitchen and walked out the front door, needing some fresh air for his troubled mind.

As he walked down the cracked cement that made up the sidewalk in his neighborhood, Jasper's mind reflected on the words his mother had said. _"...no more fucking around with all those whores you been bringing home recently." _ If only she knew the _real _reason he'd been bringing those girls home. In truth, Jasper was a virgin. At the age of sixteen he'd never fucked a girl, or even ate one out, a true feat indeed. There was a reason for that of course… but that was something he didn't want to think about.

"Yo, Jas!" A voice called out and Jasper looked up from the ground to see his best friend, Peter, running towards him. Peter had been abandoned by his parents when he was twelve, causing him to grow up homeless and alone. That is, until he met Charlotte last year. Charlotte was (and this is a direct quote) 'his mate.' No, not soulmate. Just mate, like they were some kind of fucking animals or shit.

"What do you want Peter?" Jasper asked, not even trying to put up a cheerful front. He was in no mood right now to be talking to anyone.

"Whoa man." Peter said, putting his hands up in mock surrender. "I was just wondering if the rumors were true."

Jasper furrowed his brow in confusion. "Rumors? What the hell are you talkin' bout man?" His southern drawl always got stronger whenever he was frustrated.

"The rumor's that 'chu got into some fancy private school or somethin'. I dunno. I didn't believe until Jane said it. Dude, that bitch is scary as fuck. I wouldn't bet against her for nothin'. 'Cept Charlotte of course."

Cursing, Jasper shoved his hands into his pockets and glared at the sidewalk, as if _it _was the source of all his troubles, not that stupid acceptance letter waiting back home. _This _had been the reason he had not wanted to go. Sure, he hated snobby private school prisses. But he could get over that. What he couldn't get over was leaving his family, like Peter and Charlotte. He needed them, and they needed him. They were virtually inseparable.

"Soooo are they true?" Peter asked again, breaking Jasper out of his thoughts.

He slowly nodded his head. "I did get accepted. Something about showing outstanding skills in leadership or shit like that. But I'm not going."

"And why the hell not?" Peter asked, shaking his finger at Jasper as if scolding a young child. "You could get some serious mullah if companies hear you went there. Think of Rose, Jas! Think of your mom! I'm not wantin' you to go or nuthin' but I _do _think you're being kinda selfish. Just think about it. I gotta go with Char to the library. You know how she is about readin' and shit. See you around Jasper." With these words Peter gave a half-hearted wave to his best friend and walked away, leaving Jasper to reevaluate his decision.

Xx

The very next day, Jasper found himself packing up what few belongings he had into a suitcase he had bought at the thrift store (for four dollars). The suitcase in question was an ugly plaid color and smelled suspiciously of mold. But, as Jasper knew well, beggars couldn't be choosers.

Because he didn't own a car, the principle at his high school decided that it would be a 'good idea' if one of the students already attending Fork's Academy gave Jasper a ride. Something about 'promoting good feelings' and shit.

The person giving him a ride was named Emmett Cullen, and just the name alone made Jasper shudder. Who the fuck named their child Emmett? Someone with too much money on their hands, that's who.

Emmett was scheduled to pick him up in front of his house at 10 A.M. Fork's Academy was located in Dallas, a 3 and a half hour drive. Just thinking about all that time alone in a car with a complete stranger made Jasper want to puke. He wasn't naturally a very social person, _especially _when it came to snobs.

"Jasper!" A trembling voice said. He turned around from where he was standing on the dilapidated front porch to see his mother running out from the house to see him off. Her face was red and streaked with tears. It pained Jasper to see her this way, but after all this was _her _idea in the first place.

Maria came to a stop, not an inch from his face. She slowly raised up two shaking hands and cupped his chin. "Jasper….I…I just want you to know that I am _so _proud of you. Proud that you made this decision to go, proud that you were excepted in the first place, proud that you are my son. Please don't ever forget that."

Jasper slowly nodded his head. "I will mother. You take care now." They smiled at each other until the moment was broken by a loud honking noise. Jasper turned around to see an enormous red Jeep Wrangler pulled into his driveway. It must be his ride.

Quickly giving Maria one last peck on the cheek, Jasper grabbed his disgusting suitcase and strolled over to where his fate was waiting. As soon as he got near the jeep, the driver jumped out, nearly giving him a heart attack.

Jasper's eyes widened as he took in the impressive figure before him. Whereas he had expected some dweeb with glasses and suspenders, he was instead met with over 6 feet of muscle, topped off with dimples and curly brown hair.

"Hey there!" The man grinned, an easygoing expression on his face. "I'm Emmet. We best be headin' off cause the headmaster is a nasty fucker when people show up late." He smiled again and Jasper couldn't help but smile back. It was totally involuntary, and not completely unwelcome.

"Sure man." Jasper replied. He gestured towards his flea-infested suitcase. "I'm guessing you don't want this in your jeep." Emmett wrinkled his nose at the thought and Jasper laughed. "My thoughts too. In the trunk?"

"In the trunk." Emmett repeated with a nod.

A loud banging noise had them both looking towards Jasper's front door where a very pissed looking Rosalie was walking towards them. Even at the age of fifteen, she looked more intimidating and mature than anyone else Jasper had had the pleasure of meeting. Her too-small t-shirt and booty shorts flaunted her ample curves and with her golden hair flowing down her back, she looked more like a siren than a sister.

"What. The. Hell." She growled, stomping ever more closer to where Jasper had his back pressed against Emmett's jeep. "How _dare _you try to leave without saying goodbye! If I didn't know any better I would think you've been _avoiding _me. Me! Your sister!" By now Rose was waving her hands all over the place, trying to get her point across.

Jasper glanced over at Emmett and saw as he stared at Rose, guiltlessly checking her out in front of her older brother and mom. Emmett noticed Jasper looking and his cheeks heated up. At least he had the balls to look ashamed, otherwise Jasper would've been pissed.

"Look Rose…" Jasper started, focusing his attention back on his raging, hormonal, teenage sister. "I was gonna say goodbye but I knew you would get like this so I thought fuck it, okay? I'll be back to visit for Christmas in a few months. It won't be so bad, you'll see." Somewhat pacified, Rosalie jerkily nodded her head.

"Fine. But you better call every day. And I mean _every day_." She poked her finger at him to get the severity of her words across. Jasper just rolled his eyes.

"Whatever sis. Love you."

"Love you Jas." Rose gave him a brief smile before walking back inside. She didn't like people seeing her when she got emotional.

"Goodbye mom! I'll see you for Christmas!" Jasper called out, waving to Maria before dumping his suitcase in the trunk of Emmett's jeep.

He opened the passenger door and slowly slid inside, feeling the finality of the situation. Until Emmett said, "Dude, your sister is _smokin' _hot. Do you think I could have her number?"

Xx

They arrived at Fork's Academy four hours later (they stopped to get some lunch at Burger King, much to Jasper's chagrin), and oh, was it quite the sight to behold.

It was located on a large property of well kept land, complete with statues and stone walkways. The road winded through trees and shrubs until suddenly, the looming outline of a building fronted your vision. The building itself looked like something out of a fairytale. It was made completely out of stone, save the many glass windows and the large wooden front door. It even had _three fucking turrets_. Jasper wouldn't have been surprised if a moat and some knights suddenly popped out of nowhere.

"It's pretty impressive, huh?" Emmett asked from the driver's seat. Jasper and he had spent most of the ride in easy conversation, and much to his surprise they actually had quite a bit in common. Both of them loved football and baseball and hated basketball (it was for pansies), they both loved World War Z (though Jasper didn't mention how he thought Brad Pitt was hot), and they both loved cars. When Jasper mentioned that Rose worked at an auto shop, Emmett nearly flipped shit.

"Seriously?" He had cried out. "Can your sister get even _more _fucking perfect? Damn, I really need her number." Jasper then went on to explain that they could only afford a home phone, so that probably wasn't the best idea for private conversation.

After driving through a large wrought iron gate (complete with gargoyle statues) they finally made it to the parking lot, where more hundred thousand-dollar cars were waiting for them. They drove past one car in particular that made Jasper give a low whistle. It was a silver Volvo, polished to perfection.

"That's the Headmaster's son's car." Emmett explained. "His name's Edward Mason. Quite the looker, but he spends his time buried in books, not pussies." Emmett gave Jasper a shit eating grin before pulling into an empty parking spot.

As they walked toward the front lobby, Jasper commented on how few people there were.

"It's cause most people here checked in yesterday." Emmett said. "It's alright though, classes don't start until Monday anyways." It was currently Saturday, so only two short days until the torture began.

After getting his room key, it was time for him and Emmett to part ways. "See you around, man." Emmett said. "Don't get lost!" With a carefree laugh, Emmett walked to where the third year's dorms were, while Jasper tried to find the second years. He spent nearly ten minutes wandering hallway after hallway, until _finally _E12 was in front of him.

He struggled a few seconds with the damn lock before eventually stumbling into the room. It was large (obviously, what did he expect?) with crème colored carpet and two big queen sized comforters sitting on opposite sides of the room. Jasper was so taken aback by the niceness of the room he didn't notice that he wasn't alone.

"Hello there." A musical voice called out. Jasper slowly turned to see a boy about his age perched on top of one of the beds. The boy had unruly bronze hair, large green eyes, and giant nerd glasses perched atop his nose. He had a slender frame (from what Jasper could tell) and the freckles splattered across his face weren't helping any to establish his manliness.

The boy continued to speak, ignoring Jasper's blatant staring. "My name's Edward Mason, and you must be my new roommate."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for all the reviews! Sorry if this chapter kind of sucks…**

**Jasper POV**

Jasper could only stare as the boy slowly got off his bed and walked over, his hand outstretched in greeting. As the boy stood up, Jasper got a look at the book he was reading. A biography on Nelson Mandela. _Fuck_.

What's-his-face Mr. Nerd Glasses stood expectantly in front of Jasper, his arm still extended, an unidentifiable expression on his face. Jasper quickly snapped out of his thoughts and shook his hand. The boy's hands were smooth and soft, as if he had never worked a day in his life. He probably hadn't.

"What's your name?" The boy asked.

"Jasper Whitlock." _Oh shit. _Jasper thought. He had known this kid for less than one minute and he had already forgot his name. What a great first impression.

The boy smiled a tiny bit. "Nice to meet you. I'm sure you've already made assumptions about me, given my birth, but I hope that we can get to know each other properly before too much judgment is passed."

What the hell? Did this guy even speak English? Jasper felt slightly exasperated and more than a little confused. What did he mean 'his birth'? What was his name again? Jasper gave into his confusion and decided to ask again.

"I'm really sorry but do ya think you could give me your name again? I must be really outta it or somethin'. I'm not usually _this _stupid…" He gave out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his neck. Jasper hated how his southern twang became more prominent whenever he was uneasy.

The guy in front of him blushed. Weird. "Uh…yea, no problem. I'm Edward Mason."

Now Jasper was _sure _he had heard that name before, but he couldn't for the life of him remember from where. The day had already been such an adventure; some random name was the last thing on his mind.

"Okay _Edward_," Jasper said, putting unnecessary emphasis on his name. "What do you guys do for fun around here?" He wasn't really sure what he expected for an answer. Edward seemed like a complete dweeb, the sort of kid he would _expect_ to go here, unlike Emmett. After years of getting hand-me-down designer clothes from the abbey, Jasper could immediately tell Edward was wearing a Burberry jacket (probably cost over $1500 dollars), a custom fitted Armani jeans, and Gucci loafers (link to jacket: lizard-skin-topcollar-harrington-jacket-p38794171). Yea, fucking _old man _loafers, the kind that didn't look good on anyone. Jasper tried, he really did, not to judge a book by its cover, but this book seemed to be an easy read.

"Well…" Edward said, breaking him out of his thoughts. "We have a large library! There is this one section that is particularly interesting, over in the nonfiction…"

Oh yea, definitely an easy read.

Xx

Jasper spent the rest of his Saturday getting a tour from Edward, which turned out to be a super long, super _boring _history lesson of the school and its grounds. Some of it was interesting, like the part about cowboys, but the rest was just boring as fuck.

Finally, after what seemed like forever (but was really only an hour), the pair found themselves in the cafeteria (which was great because Jasper was _starving_).

"What would you like to eat?" Edward asked politely, gesturing to the large variety of foods presented in front of them. Jasper felt his jaw hit the floor. Never, in his entire _life_, had he seen so much food in one area. There was salad, pasta dishes, muffins, the 'special' for tonight (filet mignon), crème brulee, and a bunch of others he couldn't name.

Still gawking, Jasper turned to Edward and said, "This is _all _for us to eat? It must cost a fucking fortune! How do the cooks even have _time _to make everythin' here? Is it like this every meal?"

Edward pushed his nerd glasses farther up his nose, a nervous tick that Jasper had noticed he did quite often. "I'm not really sure what to say. The cooks are well versed in the art of making food for large quantities of teenage boys, who as you know require a generous amount of calories, so they're quiet used to it by now. And besides, it's really not _that _much food. You should really see the Christmas feast they have every year…" But Jasper had stopped listening.

Not that much food? _Not that much food_?! Jasper had grown up in a household that lived paycheck to paycheck (if there was one), and a lot of food consisted of more than five items in the pantry at once. _This_, what was in front of them,was enough to feed an entire fucking army. And it was good quality stuff, too!

Realizing that Edward had stopped talking, Jasper turned and looked him in the eye. "What happens to the extra?"

Edward glanced uncomfortably at the ground, running a slender hand through his already-messy bronze hair. "Well…I'm not really sure. Esme is usually the one in charge of running the cafeteria and managing the food supply. I guess you should ask her."

Jasper nodded his head, feeling slightly embarrassed. He had probably just acted exactly how Edward had expected, pushy and annoying. He really need to control himself or he was going to get himself a new roommate. Looking back toward the food, he said "I'll have the filet mignon. Is it any good?"

Looking visibly relieved, Edward nodded and preceded to recount the whole cycle of how the meat comes into the kitchen and turns into the meal now on their plates. Tuning him out, Jasper looked up from the food line and glanced around the large room that was 'the cafeteria' (if it could be called that). It was bigger than any cafeteria _he _had been in, with a big vaulted ceiling and shiny tile floor. Large windows to the west let in the dying sunlight, casting a pinkish sort of haze over everything.

Jasper glanced around the many tables, taking note of the wide variety of boys. There was one table that was full of large boys with tan skin and flowing black hair. Another table had a bunch of skinny guys all dressed in black, accentuating their pale skin. A few tables over sat Emmett.

What should he do? Edward would probably have his own group of nerdy friends that he ate with, and that didn't sound appealing in the least. Jasper _could _sit with Emmett, but he looked like a pretty popular guy, and Jasper didn't do well with popular. He most likely would just end up eating by himself, like the loser he is.

"Jasper." Edward said, awkwardly placing his plate on one arm and nudging Jasper with the other. "I…I understand it's hard being the 'new kid' in school. So if you would like to sit with me, I would be honored to have your company." Edward's cheeks heated up, and looked back down at the ground, tightly clutching his plate in front of him in an almost defensive position. With an invitation like that, Jasper couldn't even think about refusing.

"Sure Edward. Where do ya sit?"

Edward let out a shaky breath and gave Jasper a blinding smile. Dang. This kid must be _desperate _if he actually wanted to spend more time in Jasper's company. Edward lifted one hand of his plate to point to Emmett's table. "I sit over there."

A bit taken aback, Jasper nodded his head and, grabbing his own tray, followed Edward around the cafeteria. When they arrived at the table, Emmett lifted a large hand to greet them. "Yo, Jasper! My man! How is life in slow lane treatin' ya?" He gave out a boisterous laugh before stuffing his face with pasta. Jasper just rolled his eyes and slid into an empty seat next to a baby-faced kid with poorly gelled blonde hair. The poor guy looked like a six-year-old when compared to Emmett's towering figure.

Edward sat down next to Emmett. The brunet thumped Edward on the back so hard, Japer was surprised his glasses didn't come flying off his face. Instead, Edward just began working on his muffin, acting like nothing had happened. It must be a regular thing.

Jasper looked down at his plate of filet mignon and quickly dug in. Delicious.

Xx

"So…you and Emmett," Jasper started. They were back in their room, and Edward was on his bed reading his Nelson Mandela biography while Jasper was unpacking. "Quite the pair ya'll make. I'm guessin' there's a story there?"

Edward blushed, something he seemed to do quite frequently. The blush looked nice on his smooth, pale skin. In fact he looked kinda cute… Wait, did Jasper just think Edward was _cute_? No. This wasn't happening. Jasper had decided that if he were to come to this school, all of _those _thoughts would be buried deep, deep inside of him until they all but disappeared. It couldn't happen. It wouldn't.

Oblivious to Jasper's internal debate, Edward responded, "Actually, he and I grew up together. He's was like the big brother I never had, since I'm only child."

Jasper felt a pang of sadness, thinking of how lonely it would be to have no siblings. Yea, he and Rose fought like bitches most of the time, but they were still there for each other. It's what growing up interesting. Well, that and pot.

"But it never bothered me too much, anyway." Edward said, making Jasper leave the world of drugs and focus on the conversation. "I mean, really, I was always more into books and being spiritually edified than being social." _No shit_ Jasper thought. "Emmett forced me to come out of my shell a little bit, but I still feel slightly isolated from my peers."

Again, Jasper felt kinda bad for the kid. Maybe it was the glasses, or the crazy vocabulary he used, but to Jasper, Edward seemed kinda vulnerable. And that was some dangerous shit, man.

Soon it grew closer and closer to bedtime, and Jasper _finally _got his suitcase completely unpacked. Who knew the damn thing could hold so much crap? And since when did Jasper even _own _this much shit? Putting his disgusting suitcase in the closet, Jasper yawned and pulled out his PJ bottoms. He looked over at Edward, who looked the picture of contentment, his body sprawled out on the bed, his hair a bronze mess, his glasses positioned haphazardly on his face. And an expression of pure content to accompany them.

"Hey, Edward." Jasper said to get the boy's attention. "Do ya mind that I sleep shirtless? It's kinda a habit, since I grew up in Houston (usually without air conditioning). It won't bother ya none, right?" The last thing Jasper wanted was to freak out his new roommate not even a day after they met.

Edward gave him a crooked grin that did something funny to his heart. "Go right ahead. It would be impolite of me to suggest you change your nocturnal habits merely for my satisfaction."

Jasper scratched the back of his head. "Well, I'm not really sure what you just said, so I'm gonna take that as a yes." With these words Jasper slipped off his shirt, revealing a tanned and muscular body (hey it was hot and Texas and Jasper liked to work out). Jasper slipped out of his old pants and put on his PJ bottoms, not noticing the pair of eyes that were glued to him the entire time.

Once he was dressed, Jasper slipped into the covers of his bed and gave a loud moan. Never, in his entire _life_, could he imagine sleeping in a bed like this. Silky sheets, a cushy pillow, and a thick mattress that made him want to sleep his life away. Or at least take a fucking ridiculously long nap.

Jasper looked over at Edward and noticed him red-faced and open jawed. After being spotted Edward quickly looked down at his book, trying desperately to blend into his covers in an attempt to hide from his embarrassment.

Jasper just shook his head. Poor boy, he'd probably never spent the night with someone before. Jasper yawned and tried to think of something to say. And then it struck him. "Hey, Edward!" He called out from within his bed sheets. "We should play twenty questions, or whatever the fuck that's called. I'll ask you somethin', then you ask me, and so on. Whadaya think?"

Edward said yes, so Jasper decided to start with an easy question. "What's your favorite color?"

"Blue." He responded almost instantly. Jasper didn't even need to look at him to know he was blushing. "What…What is yours?"

Jasper thought about it for a moment. "Green." He decided. Green was a nice color. It was the color of grass, the color of leaves in the spring, the color of his favorite popsicle flavor. "Alright I guess it's my turn again. Have you ever had a girlfriend?" Jasper wasn't sure where _that _had come from.

"Ummm…definitely _not_." Came Edward's reply. "Have you?"

"Yea." Jasper conceded. "I've had quite a few, actually."

"O…oh." Edward said quietly.

It made Jasper feel guilty, and he didn't know why. He was usually _proud _of his player status. Maybe it was because Edward seemed so innocent. Jasper didn't want to corrupt him. "How about you come up with a question, Edward?"

Edward thought for a moment. Wistfully, he asked, "If you could go back in time and change any one moment, what would it be?"

_Wow, this shit's getting' deep _Jasper thought. "Uhhh….I'm not really sure. Probably….Probably saying goodbye to my dad one last time before he left for the army. I never saw him again."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Edward said.

Jasper could only shrug, which was awkward in his horizontal position. "S'okay. I was six, so it's been awhile."

The two continued to talk until their eyelids got too heavy to see. And then fell asleep hard, all thoughts about school far from their minds.


	3. Chapter 3

**Song of inspiration for this chapter: Take Me to Church by Hozier (that song makes me cry something fierce). Sorry this chapter is so late!**

**Edward POV**

Edward absolutely loathed Sundays. He hated them more than physical fitness class at school. He hated them more than dances. He would rather eat carton upon carton of ice cream rather than live through another Sunday (and he despised that sweet, sticky stuff). So when he got up on Sunday, September 4th, Edward found that he was not in the best of moods.

It turned out his new roommate was not a morning person, either.

Hearing the lovely sound of his blaring alarm clock, Edward slowly opened his eyes, glancing at the offending thing. The loud noise gave him a horrible headache. The perfect way to start his favorite day of the week. Groaning, Edward slowly rose up from his comfortable bed and turned off the awful thing, peeking over at his roommate's bed. Jasper was sprawled out over the covers, his bare chest rising and falling with every breathe he took. Obviously the noise had no affect on him.

Edward quietly slid out of his bed and stalked over to the bathroom, his heavy eyelids causing him to run into the doorframe. Without his glasses, the room was just a big blur. Mentally cursing at himself, Edward proceeded to relieve himself and then turn on the shower, basking in the warmth of the outpouring water. He took as long as he could in the shower, washing his unruly hair multiple times before finally calling it quits and turning off the steady stream of water. Sighing, Edward got out and toweled himself off while glancing at his foggy reflection. His bronze hair was dripping wet, reminding himself of a drowned rat. Even though his vision was blurry, Edward could still make out the resigned expression on his face.

He hated Sundays.

A loud groan startled him and Edward quickly wrapped a towel around his waist, leaving the steamy bathroom to see what the problem was.

Jasper was sprawled out on the floor, a look of pain across his features. He must've fallen out of bed Edward thought, and Edward started laughing a bit in spite of himself. Jasper looked up at the noise and a slow blush spread over his cheeks. He must've been embarrassed.

Edward glanced down at Jasper's messy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Hitler would've been jealous, certainly. Edward knew _he _was. He'd always been envious of other's looks, feeling more than a little self-conscious of himself. What male wanted to have freckles and a slim, girlish figure? More often than not, Edward yearned that he looked like Emmett so much, it made him hurt inside just thinking about it.

Jasper cleared his throat, bringing Edward back to the present.

"Oh dear." Edward sighed, reaching down his free hand (that wasn't holding his towel), offering Jasper some help. Jasper gave a slight smile before taking his hand. As soon as he did, a jolt of electricity ran through Edward's hand, spreading ripples of warmth throughout his body. He quickly helped Jasper up and then let go, unsure of what just happened.

"Er…thanks." Jasper said in his southern drawl, scratching the back of his neck. "I guess I kinda looked like an idiot…"

Edward shook his head. "You're fine. Many people feel disoriented and off-balance when they wake up, due to the different sleep cycles we experience as part of…." Edward trailed off when he noticed the vacant look in Jasper's eyes. It was strange; Edward had grown up mostly surrounded by adults, intelligent adults, who had PhD's and taught college classes on astrophysics. But here, in his very own room, was a boy who probably knew more about drugs and alcohol than math and science.

Edward had noticed Jasper's worn-down clothes and shoddy appearance, and he had _certainly _noticed yesterday when Jasper stood open-jawed in front of the food line in the cafeteria. It made Edward ponder, something he did quite often, about the sort of background Jasper came from. He knew very little, except what Jasper had shared last nice.

Jasper snapped his fingers in front of Edward's face to get his attention. "Dude, you totally blanked out there for a second there. Is everythin' alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. It's just…" A cool breeze blew over Edward's body, and he suddenly realized he had been standing naked and wet (save for a towel) inside the room for at least five minutes. He needed to get ready or else he would be late!

"I'm sorry Jasper but if you would excuse me, there are some things I need to attend to."

Jasper furiously nodded his head. "Yea, yea of course. I'll just um… get dressed out here. Do ya know what time breakfast is served."

For a moment Edward could only stare at his roommate in confusion, and then he remembered that this was Jasper's first day at school. "Oh, definitely! Breakfast starts at 7 and is served till 10. I assume you remember where the cafeteria is?"

Jasper gave him a flirtatious grin. "How could I forget the most important room of all?"

Edward felt a blush start on his cheeks, making them burn. How odd.

Tilting his head in acknowledgement, Edward made his way towards the bathroom to get ready. He definitely did _not _see the blonde behind him, watching his every move.

Xx

It was time

Xx

_Knock_. _Knock_. Always two.

"Come in, son." A slightly British accent called out through the wooden frame. Edward slowly pushed open the door and walked inside the room, taking in the vacuumed crème carpets, the perfectly polished mahogany desk, the shiny plaques and stacked leather books. Sitting behind the desk sat Dr. Carlisle Cullen, headmaster of Fork's Academy, CEO of Cullen & Co pharmaceutical. Father. Pastor.

Edward gave him a false smile, ignoring the quivering in his stomach. "Hello father. What a lovely morning it is."

Dr. Cullen gave back a smile of his own, revealing perfectly white teeth, all set in a straight line. Like the rest of his life. "Indeed it is Edward. Are you ready for our weekly excursion down God's chosen path?"

Edward nodded his head, not really sure of what to say. But it didn't matter. Dr. Cullen got up from his leather seat and motioned to the door. Edward walked over to the door and pushed it back open, glancing back as Dr. Cullen put on his jacket.

Oh, how he hated Sundays.

The two Cullen boys walked in silence down the school halls, neither in the mood to talk, but for entirely different reasons.

As to be expected, Dr. Cullen was deep in thought about his upcoming sermon, while Edward just felt like he was going to throw up.

They made their way out the front door, waving to the secretary as they passed.

The car ride passed in silence, too.

Finally they arrived at the church, a large building made of white stone and stained glass. The glass reflected down on Edward, covering him in a red glow. He hated it.

They made their way inside, politely greeting all the families they passed. They were all dressed in their Sunday best; starched shirts and ironed slacks, their wrist watches polished to precision. Edward gave them all his best fake smile, which he was quite proud of. He had worn it to perfection.

Up near the front of the building sat Bella Swan, Dr. Cullen's personal assistant. She looked the part to a tee, her silky brown hair pulled up into a neat bun, a pun tucked behind one ear. Her shirt was a light blue blouse that brought out her creamy skin perfectly. Sure, Edward could admit she was beautiful, but he could honestly say he had never felt attracted to her.

"Ah, Bella, how lovely you look this morning!" Dr. Cullen announced, flashing her a blinding smile. Her face takes on a light pink at the compliment.

"Why thank you. You don't look to bad yourself Carlisle." They smile at each other and Edward doesn't roll his eyes only thanks to years of training and etiquette. He awkwardly sits down on the end of Bella's pew, praying (oh the irony) for church to get over with.

Dr. Cullen finally made his way up to the pew, adjusting his black robe so it hung just so off his shoulders. And then he began speaking.

"Brothers, sisters, children of God. I welcome you today to this lovely service. Are we not all grateful for the kindness God has bestowed upon us by allowing us to meet here?"

Edward started to tune out the words, instead imaging himself back in bed.

"…and that is why we're here." Dr. Cullen's voice took on a more serious tone, causing Edward to snap back to attention. "We all know how fallen society is, how broken we all are. But that is _no _excuse for sin. And by sin, we know I'm taking specifically about the horror that is homosexuality."

By now, Edward's palms have become slick with sweat, which he nervously rubs against his suit pants.

"It says here, in the Bible, which I remind you is _direct revelation _from _God_ himself, that '_…men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet._ _Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers_ (Romans 1: 27 & 29). This, of course, is God's way of saying how unnatural and how disgustingly sinful it is, to be homosexual in thought or deed."

Edward kept his head bowed, tears streaming silently down his face. Why? Why was it so wrong to love someone? Why did God hate homosexuals so much? If they were to burn in Hell, why were they created to love the same gender in the first place?

Deep breathes, Edward told himself. He would be strong.

He hated Sundays.

Xx

Edward arrived back at the school grumpy and exhausted. He briefly wondered where Jasper was, since he was not in their room at 12:00 P.M. when Edward returned.

Deciding to go the library, Edward changed into more comfortable clothes and made his way towards _his _favorite room at school. He knew it was strange, preferring books over people or food or sleep, but he enjoyed them a great deal. Books provided an escape, allowed him to feel someone else's emotions instead of dealing with his own.

Not looking where he was going, Edward promptly ran into someone in the hallway, knocking both of them over.

"I'm…I'm so sorry!" Edward cried out, grimacing at the bruises that were surely forming on his tailbone. He picked up his glasses which had been thrown off his face during the impact. And then he saw who he had run into.

It was Jacob Black, bad boy extraordinaire. The epitome of teenage boys, he practically oozed confidence and recklessness with his bronzed skin and flowing black hair. Even though they had both gone to Fork's Academy for years, they had scarce spoken more than ten words to each other. They ran in completely different circles.

"Yo, Edward it's all cool. No need to look like someone ran over your puppy." Jake gave him a shit-eating grin. "I'm pretty strong-built; I doubt you could hurt me even if you were _trying_."

Edward frowned. That was certainly impolite! No wonder they never talked.

"Well, as I said before I'm sorry. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some things I need to attend to."

"Wait" Jake called out, grabbing onto Edward's arm as he started to walk away. "I…I'm sorry, that was rude of me to say. Say, where ya headed anyways? No classes on Sunday!"

Edward watched as Jake ran a large hand threw his hair. He almost looked…nervous? Was that even possible?

"I'm going to the library. I find a good book the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Now then…" Again, Edward tried to walk away and again, he was stopped. Jake's hand was warm against his bare skin. It was an almost pleasant sensation. _Wait_! Edward thought. Those are the exact _opposite _of the thoughts that he should be having. What would Dr. Cullen say?

"What do you need Jake?" Edward asked, his voice sounding tired.

Jake gave him an unreadable expression. "Do you want to come hang with me and some of the boys? I figure… since you… ya know don't have many friends, maybe you want to chill with us? The Rec Room has some pretty sweet Xbox games… or board games if those are more your style." Another shit-eating grin.

Edward huffed. "Of course I can play video games! Just because I prefer more scholarly activities doesn't mean I grew up under a rock!"

The two had a staring contest before finally, Edward grumbled, "I'd love to join you." His cheeks flushed. "But I don't know where the Rec Room is. C…Could you show me?"

Jake looked like he was going to make another snarky comment but instead decided to shut his mouth. "Sure Cullen, whatever."

He then proceeded to whistle 'A Whole New World' until they finally reached the room. Edward had no idea what he'd just gotten himself into.


End file.
